San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-11

amen came tne CONFUSION OF parting
and starting. The farmer came up 10
wish 1.-THE lOdgyr' farewell.
IL am leaving YOU somewhat hurried
W. said Eric. ''but shall come back in
the course OF few DAYS To see
how YOU are.n And Lady May, who
heard him, determined that he should
not do any such thing. The people had
been very kind TO him, that was certain,
but there would be no need for him To
keep up the acquaintance.
Mrs. Vaughan stood weeping by the
carriage door. She was sorry TO part
from the kindly gentleman who had
been a small gold mine to them.
Not a very cheerful scene,n said
Lady GertOn, as the carriage drove
away, but Eric did not hear her: in his
heart he was crying for Bonnie Doom.
AS the carriage rolled along. and the
two ladies sank into luxurious con-
tent, he was saying TO himself how soon
he would 60 back in few DAYS. III he
could have seen her, and said goodbye,
he would not have felt the separation
half so much: but to leave her III. with
out word of farewell, IL seemed to
him horrible. Lady MAY wondered
what made her lover 50 silent. Lady
GeTtOn. watching him keenly, knew well
what was wrong. and she repeated TO
herself that they had not come one day
too soon.
Ii was not the most cheerful of drives.
Eric was wretched; he could not for
give himself now for having left the
farm; he said to himself that he ought
To have waited. above all, when he
heard that Ruth was ill.,
But then, what can one man do be-
tween two strong-minded and determin-
ed women? He would go back in three
days, and he would make up his mind
then as to the future.
But his thoughts were so full of her
that he could not talk, and Lady May
was Just little inclined to resent il.
He ought to try tn he little more
cheerful, when she had been gracious
enough to fetch him home-but Lady
Gerton understood.
After long drive, the stately man.
sion in Queens Gardens was reached at
last. Lady GertOn was one of the most
kindly and cheerful of hostesses. and
certainly life at West-end mansion
was different to life in large, rambling
old farmhouse: but love reigned at the
old farmhouse, and he liked love best.
The magnificent rooms, the recherche
dinners, the sparkling wines, the even
ing dresses and jewels of the ladies',
were no novelties TO him; but in his
heart he longed for the simple fashions
of Larch Hill. Both ladies were every
thing that was most kind to him; but in
his heart he was longing for love. If he
had never seen Bonnie Doom, he would
never have known what love was, but,
having once known it, he longed for it
AS the best thing in life. The whole
world seemed changed to him: those
things which he bad valued most before,
seemed to him of least value now. What
was fame, ambition, or anything else
compared with love? The only point
on which his mind rested was this
that he should return in the course
of few days.
Early the next morning he went out
and purchased gold locket, rich, mas
sive, and elegant; he placed his own
portrait inside it, made it up in parcel
and addressed it to-
Miss Vaughan.
Larch Hill Farm.
ASpendale.
Then for the first time since he left
her, he felt something like at ease. He
knew how delighted she would be, and
with it he wrote a letter.
In this letter he called her his own
Bonnie Doom, and he told her he was
coming back to the farm very soon to
see them, and to explain his hasty de-
parture to her.
He hoped she was better, and he sent
her his dearest love, then he felt more
at ease still. TIM would fly. and he
Sbnnl1 COON no uftl, her a0rain